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Welcome to the Office of Minority Business Enterprise

As Maryland’s Official Certification agency, this is your online resource for information regarding certification as a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) and/or Small Business Enterprise (SBE).

Please contact the office by clicking here if we can answer questions regarding the certification process, help you select the appropriate application and document checklist, or assist you in locating certified firms in the online directory.

For valuable information about events targeted toward small, minority- and women-owned businesses across Maryland, be sure to visit the Calendar of Events.The Resources & Information Section is also a valuable tool for firms seeking MBE/DBE/ACDBE/SBE certification as well as firms that are already certified.

Important Notices

PERSONAL NET WORTH CAP FOR CERTIFIED MBE FIRMS

INCREASES EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2017

ANNUAL ADJUSTMENT REQUIRED BY LAW

HANOVER, MD (JANUARY 1, 2017) – The Maryland Department of Transportation’s Office of Minority Business Enterprise (OMBE) announced that the Personal Net Worth (PNW) cap applied to the Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Program will increase from $1,674,928 to $1,692,682 effective January 1, 2017.

As required by Maryland law, the State’s MBE Program adjusts its PNW cap annually based on the Consumer Price Index. MDOT, as the official certification agency for the State, is responsible for calculating the annual cap. The PNW cap applies to any disadvantaged owner whose ownership interest in a firm is relied upon for certification in the MBE Program and all MBE certification decisions rendered between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2017. In addition to the PNW cap, firms must meet eligibility requirements for minority status, ownership, control and size.

The PNW cap in place for the federal Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program is not affected. Accordingly, the DBE cap on personal net worth remains $1,320,000.

MDOT is committed to ensuring that small minority-and women owned businesses have the opportunity to participate fully and fairly in the procurement process.

For information about MBE/DBE certification, contact OMBE at 410-865-1269 or visit the Minority Disadvantaged Business Enterprise tab at www.mdot.maryland.gov.

Online Applications!

OMBE is excited to announce that we now offer an online application process! applicants may visit the MBE online application portal at https://mbe.mdot.maryland.gov/apply to complete a company profile and upload all supporting documents. Applicants who complete the online application process will receive a correspondence that confirms receipt of their information immediately after submission of all required documents, and subsequent email correspondences if additional information or corrections are required. The OMBE will continue to accept paper submissions, and applicants are welcome to hand deliver or mail their information to the address listed above.

On or about August 1, 2016, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) will submit to the Federal Transit Adminstration (FTA) a proposed overall Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) goal of 30% for FFYs 2017-2019 for the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA). If you have any questions, please contact Tracie Watkins Rhodes, Director of Small and Minority Business Policy, at 410-865-1120 or trhodes@mdot.state.md.us.

For business owners:

Pursuant to federal regulation 49 C.F.R. Part 23, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) is seeking comments on the Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) Program and goals for the Maryland Aviation Administration’s (MAA) Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport (BWI Marshall). In establishing the ACDBE goals, the federal regulations require that MDOT consult with stakeholders, which include, without limitation, minority and women’s business groups, community organizations, trade associations representing concessionaries currently located at the airport, existing concessionaires, and other officials or organizations that may have information concerning the availability of disadvantaged businesses, the effects of discrimination on opportunities for ACDBEs, and the MAA’s efforts to increase ACDBE participation. To comply with this requirement, we are seeking stakeholder input through the survey that can be found at the following web link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5TZ5TNZ